Longtime faculty member to oversee thriving department during period of expansion, innovation

March 21, 2010

DAYTON, Ohio-The Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine has named James E. Brown, Jr., M.D., M.M.M., FACEP, EMT-P, acting chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine.

A medical school faculty member since 1994, Brown is also an associate professor of emergency medicine and director of the school's Emergency Medicine Residency Program. He has also served as vice chair of the department since 2007.

In addition to being board certified in emergency medicine, Brown holds EMT Paramedic and EMT Tactical licenses and numerous advanced life support certifications and is an advisor and tactical medic for the Dayton Police and Montgomery County Sheriff Department SWAT teams. Brown is also a member of the American Medical Association, the Ohio State Medical Association, the Greater Miami Valley EMS Council, the State of Ohio EMS Regional Physician's Advisory Board and the National Association of EMS Physicians. He is a fellow of both the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine.

Prior to joining the medical school faculty, Brown received a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy (cum laude) from the Seminary of St. Pius X and earned a medical degree from the University of Louisville, where he also completed a residency program in emergency medicine and served as chief resident.

Brown assumes a key leadership role within the department and the medical school in the midst of a period of significant change and growth. In September 2009, the department's National Center for Medical Readiness broke ground on its new Tactical Laboratory (NCMR-TL) at Calmityville, a unique, state-of-the-art collaborative training and research facility devoted to civilian and military disaster-response training. Located in Fariborn on the site of the former CMEX facility, The NCMR-TL is supported by nearly $13 million in state and federal funding and is expected to generate a regional economic impact of $374 million during its first five years of operation.

Also in September 2009, the department created a new Division of Tactical Emergency Medicine (DTEM), making Wright State one of the few medical schools to have a formal program devoted to this emerging field. Tactical emergency medical support (TEMS) focuses on advising and assisting public safety personnel during routine activity, training exercises and operational missions in response to real emergencies, as well as caring for patients in dangerous environments or high-risk situations.

Most recently, NCMR was placed on alert status by Gov. Ted Strickland and the Ohio Department of Health for possible deployment to Haiti to assist in the aftermath of the deadly earthquakes that struck the island nation in January. While they were not sent to Haiti, NCMR team members were prepared to deploy their mobile Acute Care Centers (ACC) and Neighborhood Emergency Help Centers (NEHC), which are self-contained, mobile medical facilities designed to facilitate a rapid response to disasters or other large-scale emergencies. Each NEHC can provide triage services and basic medical treatment for up to 1,000 patients per day, while each ACC can support basic inpatient care for up to 250 people simultaneously.

Editor's note: For more information or to schedule an interview contact: Phillip Neal, Marketing and Communications, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, (937) 775-4587 or phillip.neal@wright.edu.